Automatic painting machine



Aug. 27, 1963 R. awAY ETAL AUTOMATIC PAINTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16. 1960 IN VEN TORS ROBERT 8. WAY

CARL D- HERSEY BY M/ M1 ATTORNEY Aug. 27, 1963 R. B. WAY ETAL 3,102,053

7 AUTOMATIC PAINTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS ROBERT 8. WAY CARL D. HERSEY BY 8M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,102,053 AUTUMATIC PATNTBNG MACHINE Robert B. Way, 15% Cheisea Ave, and Carl D. Hersey, 3107 Marvin Ave., both of Erie, Pa. Filed Aug. 16, 196i), Ser. No. 50,003 15 Claims. (Cl. 118-301) This invention relates to coating machines and, more particularly, to automatic machines for coating articles of manufacture, especially articles having concave or convex surfaces to be coated.

In the present invention, a machine is disclosed for coating articles by means of a spray gun wherein the spray gun is moved relative to the article during painting in order to give a uniform smooth coating. The gun is supported and swung about a center which may be adjusted so that it is located at the center of curvature of the curved surface to be coated. An improved, convenient, readily operable mechanism is provided for moving and adjusting the ceriter of oscillation of the gun to a position above the mask to provide a center of swing for the guns to thus paint convex parts with the guns moving in a path at a fixed distance from the parts. In addition to the foregoing, an improved means is provided for turning the guns on and off in combination with an improved coating mechanism actuating surface. s

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic painting machine which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efiicient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved coating machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a coating machine having an improved paint gun positioning means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coating machine having an improved means for actuating the paint guns.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved painting machine for painting a curved surface wherein the gun may be swung in a central orbital curved path whose center of curvature is located at the center of curvature of the article being painted, the position of said center of curvature being adjustable.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the machine shown in FIG. 1 with one side of the cover thereof removed;

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the machine showing the cover removed therefnom;

FIG. 4- is a partial cross sectional view of part of the machine shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the control mechanism for the machine.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, the machine is shown having a support plate 20 to support an article having a curved surface to be painted. A paint gun 25 is swung by an arm 27 so that it oscillates ina curved path. The center of curvature of the curved path is on a connecting rod 123. The position of the connecting rod 123 can be moved by adjusting it up and down by means of a crank wheel 13 so that the connecting rod 123 is located on a line passing through the center of curvature of the article to be painted. The line is also perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the center of curvature of the article to be painted. Thus, the paint gun can be swung in an arcuate path generally equidistant at all points from the surface to be painted.

The machine has a frame or casing 10 which has four sides and an inclined top as shown. The casing 10 has an inspection door 12 which is hinged thereto and provided with a latch 112a as shown to fasten to a casing 11. and then close the mechanism as shown. I

The inclined front of the machine is made upof the plate 20 supported thereon which is hinged at the top by means of a hinge member 91. The plate2t1 supports a mask 19 in the center thereof. The mask has a surface which is a counterpart of an article to be painted. The

mask 19 has the usual openings in the lower surface thereof which allow paint to pass through and to impinge on the article supported in the mask in a conventional manner.

A channel member 116 is attached to a plate 28 and extends over the hinged plate 20 and supports a vertical support which, in turn, supports a cylinder 93'. A piston 117 in the cylinder 93' has a rod 21 thereon which moves upwardly and downwardly. The piston 117 is moved down by air from aline 97 which forces it downwardly to clamp an article to be painted in the mask 19'. A spring in the cylinder 93 returns it when the air is stopped.

Paint is sprayed onto the lower part of the mask 19 by the gun 25. The gun 25- is supported on a crank 26 which is supported on the crank arm 27 and forms a hingememher to which the gun is locked. The arm 27 extends parallel to and adjacent the plate 28 so it can slide alongside the mask 19 to bring the connecting rod 123 above or below the mask 19. The arm 27 is attached to the con necting rod 123 which is connected to and driven by a mechanism 23 and extends through a slot 23 in the plate 28. The mechanism 23 and a motor 22 which drives it are supported on a plate 24. The plate 24 is slidably sup ported on the plate 28 which constitutes a vertical partition separating the chamber containing the gun 25 from the chamber containing the drive mechanism made up of the motor 22 and the mechanism 23'. The mechanism 23 has an axle 23 connected to the connecting rod 123 and "engages a nut 15. The nut 15 is attached to the base plate 24 by welding or other suitable fastening means.

The base plate 24- is slidably supported on the plate 28 and the connecting rod 123 extends through a slot 124 in the plate 28. The screw 14- is rotatably supported in a bearing 29 and held against axial movement by sleeves 16. The sleeves 16 receive the screw 14. The nut 15 is raised or lowered and, with it, the gum moving assembly, by rotation of the wheel 13. This moves the nut 15 on the screw 14 and the connecting rod 123 is thereby raised or lowered to change the point of swinging of the guns.

The gun 25 is supported to the slotted swinging arm 27 by means of a bolt 125 which is welded to a bracket 126 and is locked to the arm 27 by means of nuts 12% and 129. The nuts 128 and 129 lock the bolt 125 against sliding in a slot 130, changing the effective length of the arm 27 and, therefore, the position of the gun 25 relative to the connecting rod 123. The location of the connecting rod 123 relative to the article in the mask 19 is adjusted by rotating the crank wheel 13 to locate the connecting rod 123 coextensive with a line through the center of curvature of the article in the mask. The correct spacing of the gun 25 from the article can be adjusted by moving the bolt 125 upand down in the slot 130.

The position of the cylinder 93 above the article can be adjusted by adjusting it in a clamp 131 by sliding it parallel to the plate 26 by way of a slot 133 and sliding it vertically in the vertical support 115 to bring it to the proper spacing from the mask 19. The cylinder 93 can be adjusted laterally by adjusting the bracket or support 115 in the channel 116.

A cam 86 is fixed to the connecting rod 123. The motor 22 drives the cam 36 through the mechanism 23 and the valves which make up the circuit shown in FIG. are supported adjacent the cam 36 on the machine frame.

The machine is operated by a pneumatic circuit. The schematic diagram of the circuit is shown in FIG. 5. The circuit is made up of the various pilot operated threeand four-way valves and cam operated three-way valves '76 and 81. These valves control the operation of the clamping cylinder 93 and the spray guns. The diagram is shown connected in accordance with the standard code and the operation thereof is as follows:

Air enters. through a line 95 and a filter 30 to a line 96. The line 96 carries dry air to the paint pressure tank through a shut-oii 32 and to a push button valve 36. Dry air from the line 96 also goes to a foot pedal valve 37 and to the spray guns as atomizing air through an atomizing air regulator 57 having a regulating spring 58. Air from the filter 36 also passes through the line 96 through a check valve 31 and a lubricator 33 into the main air line 95. Air in the line 5 passes to a three-way valve 47, which is closed, through the line 95 to the valve 76 which is closed and through a four-way valve 59 having an exhaust port 62. The valve 59 directs the air through a line 162 to a pilot cylinder 68 of a valve 66, which has ports connected to exhausts 69 and 70, and to a brake cylinder 75 which presses a brake shoe 18 against a brake drum coupling 17. Air in the line 95 further passe-s to a regulator 55 having a regulating member 54 and to a push button valve 84, having a push button 83, which is closed. Dry air from the line 96 passes through the foot pedal valve 37 to a line 0114 to a cut-out valve 34. This valve is constructed so that it will pass only a fixed amount of air and will then shut off. No more air will pass through the valve until it is exhausted and air is again applied. The circuit as shown in FIG. 5 shows the machine idle as it will be between cycles, the charge of air which was passed by the cut-out valve 34 having been bled off through a bleeder hole 41 of a pilot cylinder 38 of a valve it).

The machine can be operated by either of two methods, the first method requiring the operator to load a part 113 into the mask 19 and to then depress and release a foot pedal actuator 36 of the valve 37. The second method requires the operator to load the part in the mask as above and to then press on the part to depress the hinged plate 20, thus holding the part down while it is being painted.

The sequence of operations using the first method will be as follows:

Depressing the foot pedal actuator 36 of the four-way foot pedal valve 37 shifts the porting of the valve and connects the line 114- to an exhaust and closes the line 96 to terminal 44, thus exhausting the cut-out valve 34. Releasing the foot pedal actuator 36 permits a return spring 45 to shift the valve, realigning the ports to connect the line 96 to the line 114. Air thus passes to the cut-out valve 34 which passes a fixed charge of air through a line 113 to the pilot cylinder 38 of the thrce-w ay valve 46, thus shifting the spool of the valve connecting a line 160 to a line 99. Air in the line 99 passes through a flow control valve 46, line 98, a shut-cit valve 94, which is open, to the hold-down air cylinder $3. Air in the cylinder 93 forces the piston 117 and the piston rod 21 down, pressing the end of the rod 21 against the part 118. Pressing against the part 118 pivots the plate 20 on a pivot shaft 91 land, through the shaft 91, pivots an arm 99, thus pressing a manual actuator 89 of the valve 86, opening the valve. This connects the line 96 to a line 111, passing air to and through a cut-out valve 65 into a line 111} to a flow control valve 64 and a pilot actuator 48 of the valve 4-7 and to the left pilot actuator 60, having an exhaust 61, of a four-way valve 5'9, shifting the spools of both valves. Shifting the valve 59 exhausts the line 162, releasing the brake cylinder 75 and exhausting the pilot cylinder 68 of the valve 66.

The air line 95 is connected to a line 103, thus passing air through the valve 66 and a flow control valve 71 to the air motor 22, causing it to rotate its output shaft 74 and, through the brake shoe coupling 17, an input shaft 119* of the gear reducer mechanism 23-. The gear reducer 23 has a double output shaft on one end of which is fastened the arm 27 which supports and moves the spray gun 25 and, on the other end, the cam 86. The air motor rotates in such a manner to cause the cam 86 to rotate in a clockwise direction. The exhaust air from the air motor 22 passes through a line 107, a flow control valve 72 which, by regulating the flow of exhaust air, controls the speed of the air motor 22, and through a line 166 to the exhaust port of the valve 66. Opening the valve 47 permits air from the line 95' to How to a line a, through a quick exhaust valve 51 having an exhaust 52 and a shut-ofii valve 53 through a line 114 to the actuating cylinder of the automatic spray gun 25, turning on the gun. Air in the line 65a is prevented from flowing into a line 168 by a check valve 50.

The flow control valve 64' is adjusted to delay the opening of the valve 47 by way of line 101 until the spray gun begins to move in its are actuated by the motor 22.

After the cam 80 has rotated approximately one hundred twenty degrees, a cam lobe 121 contacts an actuator 75 of the valve 76 having an exhaust 77, thus opening the valve and connecting the line 95 to a line 122. Air is thus passed to a pilot actuator 67 of the valve 66 which shifts the spool of the valve 66 and connects the line 163 with the line 106. Air in the line 166 passes to the valve 81 which is now closed by a spring 82 and through the fiow control valve 72 and a line 107 to the air motor 22, thus reversing the direction of rotation of the motor 22, the cam, and the spray gun support arm. The cam now rotates in a counterclockwise direction until the cam lobe [121 contacts an actuator 79 of the valve 81. When the valve 31 is opened by the lobe 121, air from the line 166 flows through a line 112 to a pilot actuator 63 of the valve 59 and to a pilot cylinder 221 of the valve 47, shifting the valve spools. Shifting the valve 47 shuts off the spray gun 25 and shifting the valve 59 connects the line 103 to a line 109. Thus, the air supply to the air motor 22 by way of lines 104 and 165 is shut off and the pressure remaining in the lines 103 and 109 causes a pilot actuator 39 to shift the spool of the valve .0. By shifting the valve 59, the line 95 is connected to the line 1112, allowing air to flow to the brake cylinder 75 which then presses the brake shoe 18 against the brake drum coupling 17, stopping the air motor 22, the cam 80, and the spray gun support arm.

Closing the valve 40 exhausts the line 99 to the hold down cylinder 93, allowing a return spring 122a to retract the piston 117 and the piston rod 21. Retracting the piston rod 21 allows a spring 122' to pivot the arm and the plate 20 back to their original neutral positions. Moving the arm 96 allows a return spring 87 to close the valve 36 and exhaust the line 1 11 and the cut-out valve 65.

The second alternate operating method requires the operator to press down on the part 118, thus pivoting the plate 20 and the arm W, opening the valve 86. After the valve 86 is opened, the operation of the machine is identical to that of the first method described above. In using the second method, the shut-01f valve 94 is closed and the hold-down cylinder 93 is removed. The foot valve 37, the cut-out valve 34-, and the valve 40 are inoperative.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it will be seen that the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property'or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A painting machine comprising a frame, a support for a mask on said :frame, a mask having a curved surface supported on said support, a crank arm having a connecting rod supported on said machine by adjustable means to oscillate about an axis of rotation, a paint gun supported on said crank arm at a distance from said connecting rod, said adjustable means being adjustable to move said connecting rod axis onto a line passing through the center of curvature of said curved surface of said mask and perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through said center of curvature, and means on said crank arm to adjust the distance of said paint gun from said mask.

2. A painting machine comprising a frame, a motor means slidably supported on said frame, axle means on said motor means extending therefrom, 'a connecting rod connected to said axle means and oscillatable thereby about an axis, a mask, means supporting said mask on said machine, said mask having a curved surface for receiving an article to be painted, adjusting means on said machine to slidably move said motor means on said frame to bring said connecting rod into a line passing through the center of curvature of said curved surface, a swinging arm, said swinging arm being connected to said connecting rod and disposed at an angle thereto and swingable about the axis of said connecting rod, said swinging arm having. a slot therein, a bolt in said slot, a bracket supported on said bolt, said mask being removable and said motor means being slidable to bring said connecting rod to the center of said curvature, a hinge member extending from said bracket parallel to said connecting rod, and means on said binge member to support a paint gun, said bolt being supported in said slot and adjusted therein to adjust the distance of said hinge member from said mask.

3. The machine recited in claim 2 wherein said adjusting means comprises a screw supported on said frame, and a but on said screw, said nut being fixed to said motor means.

4. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein said motor means has a cam connected to the shaft thereof, valve means, and fluid means connected to said motor means through said valve means, said valve means being controlled by said cam to control the flow of fluid to said motor means and thereby control the rotation of said motor means.

5. The machine recited in claim 4 wherein said means supporting said mask on said machine comprises a plate, said plate having means therein connected to an actuating means on a valve whereby when said mask is forced downward, said valve means is opened to actuate said machine.

6. The machine recited in claim 5 wherein a fluid operated cylinder is supported on said machine above said mask, said cylinder having a piston rod therein for engaging an article to move said article onto said mask, said piston rod being actuated by fluid controlled by said fluid means and said cam.

7. The machine recited in claim 6 wherein brake means is provided for said motor means, said brake means being actuated by said fluid means.

'8. An automatic painting machine comprising a cas ing, an inclined plate on the upper part of said casing, said plate supporting a mask for an article, a vertically disposed plate in said casing, a motor slidably supported on said vertically disposed plate, a slot in said vertically disposed plate, a connecting rod extending through said slot, means operably connecting said connecting rod .to said motor to be swung thereby, an arm fixed to said connecting rod to swing around the center of oscillation thereof, means on said arm to support a paint gun, a paint gun supported on said support means to swing with said arm adjacent said mask, said arm extending generally parallel to said vertically disposed plate, and means to slide said motor on said vertically disposed plate to move said connecting rod and to move the center of oscillation thereof toward and away from said mask.

9'. The machine recited in claim 8 wherein said means to slide said motor comprises a nut, means attaching said nut to said motor, and a screw fixed for rotation and against axial movement to said machine and engaging said nut, and means to rotate said screws whereby said connecting rod may be moved selectively to a plu' rality of positions above and below said mask.

10. The machine recited in claim 9 wherein said means on said arm to support a gun comprise-s a laterally extending arm fixed thereto, and means fixing said laterally extending arm to said first mentioned arm, said gun being supported on said second mentioned arm.

ll. The machine recited in claim 10 wherein said laterally extending arm is fixed to said other arm by means of a bracket fixed to said laterally extending arm and extending parallel to said other arm, and a threaded member fixed to said bracket and disposed in a slot in said first mentioned arm.

12. The machine recited in claim 11 wherein said motor drives a cam in synchronism with said connecting rod, values are actuated by said cam, and a supply of fluid actuates said motor, said valves controlling said fluid reversing the direction of flow of said fluid to said motor as said cam rotates from a first position to a second position and stopping said motor when said motor rotates from said second position back to said first position.

13. The machine recited in claim 11 wherein said (threaded member may be moved to a plurality of positions in said first mentioned arm to adjust the efiective length of said first mentioned arm.

14. The machine recited in claim 13 wherein said motor is a fluid operated motor, and fiuid operated means is supported on said machine adjacent said mask to clamp articles therein, said fluid operated means to clamp said articles being operated by a fluid also actuating said motor.

15. The machine recited in claim 14 wherein said motor drives a cam in synchronism with said connecting rod, valves are actuated by said cam, and a supply of fluid actuates said motor, said valves controlling said fluid, reversing the direction of flow of said fluid to said motor as said cam rotates from a first position to a second position'and stopping said motor when said motor rotates from said second position back to said first position, said fluid means also being connected to said clam-ping means, said clamping means actuating means to connect said fluid to said motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,810,364 MacArthur et al Oct. 22, 1957 2,838,024 Repettye June 10, '195 8 2,888,903 Faber June 2, 1959 2,928,369 Way et al. Mar. 15, 1960 

2. A PAINTING MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME, A MOTOR MEANS SLIDABLE SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAMEE, AXLE MEANS ON SAID MOTOR EXTENDING THEREFROM, A CONNECTING ROD CONNECTED TO SAID AXLE MEANS AND OSCILLATABLE THEREBY ABOUT AN AXIS, A MASK MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MASK ON SAID MACHINE, SAID MASK HAVING A CURVED SURFACE FOR RECEIVING AN ARTICLE TO BE PRINTED, ADJUSTING MEANS ON SAID MACHINE TO SLIDABLY MOVE SAID MOTOR MEANS ON SAID FRAME TO BRING SAID CONNECTING ROD INTO A LINE PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER OF CURVATURE OF SAID CURVED SURFACE, A SWINING ARM, SAID SWINGING ARM BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CONNECTING ROD AND DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE THERETO AND SWINGABLE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID CONNECTING ROD SAID SWINGING ARM HAVING A SLOT THEREIN, A BOLT IN SAID SLOT, A BRACKET SUPPORTED ON SAID BLOT, SAID MASK BEING REMMOVABLE AND SAID MOTOR MEANS BEING SLIDABLE TO BRING SAID CONNECTING ROD TO THE CENTER OF SAID CURVATURE, A HINGE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID BRACKET PARALLEL TO SAID CONNECTING ROD, AND MEANS ON SAID HINGE MEMBER TO SUPPORT A PAINT GUN, SAID BOLT BEING SUPPORTED IN SAID SLOT AND ADJUSTED THEREIN TO ADJUST THE DISTANCE OF SAID HINGE MEMBER FROM SAID MASK. 